Department for Transport

Hybrid Air Vehicles: Loans

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the decision not to provide a loan to Hybrid Air Vehicles.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on Hybrid Air Vehicles.

Robert Courts: The Department for Transport has engaged with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on potential funding options for Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV). The Secretary of States have not had a specific meeting about HAV.

Avanti West Coast: Standards

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Schedule 6.2, Clause 10.6 of the West Coast Rail Franchise Agreement, what key performance indicators he agreed with Avanti West Coast; and what quarterly progress has been made against these indicators.

Kevin Foster: Avanti submitted the relevant plans within the contractual timescales. These plans are updated and reviewed quarterly.

Driving Tests: Waiting Lists

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, in the context of the driving test backlog, if he will take steps to increase the number of driving test slots available, particularly in rural areas.

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is taking steps to clear the driving test backlog and reduce test waiting times, particularly in rural areas.

Lucy Frazer: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) operates a 24-week booking window for car tests and there are test slots available within this window.Driver testing services were significantly disrupted during the pandemic, which has led to a high demand for learners who are now wanting to take their driving test. The DVSA is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can and has a number of measures in place to do this. These include offering a national recovery allowance and annual leave buy back to examiners, asking all those qualified to conduct tests, but who do not do so as part of their current day job, to return to conducting tests, conducting out of hours testing (such as on public holidays and weekends), and resuming the number of driving tests per day to seven for each full-time examiner.The DVSA is also recruiting more than 300 driving examiners across Great Britain. The DVSA’s examiner recruitment campaigns continue to be successful but, like many employers, it is finding the job market extremely competitive. As it moves through each recruitment campaign, the DVSA will continually review and make changes and improvements to its recruitment and selection process, and training courses.To reduce the number of driving tests that go to waste, the DVSA has introduced a text messaging service to remind candidates about their test and has also launched a ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign to improve learners’ understanding of what it means to be test ready and how they can assess their readiness.

Department for Transport: Termination of Employment

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many members of staff have left his Department since 12 December 2019.

Kevin Foster: Since December 2019, the number of staff who have left the central Department for Transport is 1,063.

Driving Tests: Waiting Lists

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were awaiting a practical driving test as on 2 September (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Lucy Frazer: Driver testing services were significantly disrupted during the pandemic, which has led to a high demand for learners who are now wanting to take their driving test. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can.The table below shows the number of people who had a practical car driving test booked and were awaiting to sit that test. Data for 2 September 2022 cannot be provided as reports are generated weekly. Therefore, the closest comparable data has been given. Monday 30 August 2021Monday 29 August 2022Number of people with a practical car driving booked / awaiting to sit that test561,959534,514

Driving Tests

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress has been made by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to recruit 300 new driving examiners; and how many and what proportion of the examiners that have been recruited are conducting practical driving tests on a full-time basis as at 2 September 2022.

Lucy Frazer: Driver testing services were significantly disrupted during the pandemic, which has led to a high demand for learners who are now wanting to take their driving test. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is working hard to provide as many practical driving test appointments as it can.As of 26 August 2022, the total number of new driving examiners (DE) in place and testing was 313. There are 153 new entrant DEs in the process of being trained.

Italy: Driving Licences

James Daly: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with his Italian counterpart on the right of former UK residents living in Italy to use their UK driving licence.

Lucy Frazer: The Secretary of State for Transport discussed the mutual exchange of driving licences with Minister Enrico Giovannini on 3 May 2022. Further constructive engagement has followed at official level with both sides working at pace to finalise a new bilateral agreement to allow people resident in Italy to exchange their UK licence for an Italian one without needing to take a driving test and vice versa.

Driving Licences

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers medical applications were waiting to be processed as on 1 September (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Lucy Frazer: The table below shows the number of drivers medical cases waiting to be resolved on 1 September 2021 and 1 September 2022. The figures include new applications/notifications and driving licence renewal applications. It is important to note that the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, for example NHS medical professionals, before a decision on whether to issue a licence can be made. Currently, around 47 per cent of cases are awaiting information from a third party.1 September 2021272,8381 September 2022225,843The length of time taken to deal with an application for a driving licence where a medical condition must be investigated depends on the condition(s) involved and whether further information or clinical tests are required from healthcare professionals.To reduce waiting times for customers, the law was changed on 20 July to widen the pool of healthcare professionals who can provide medical information to support an application for a driving licence. The DVLA has also recruited more staff and opened new customer service centres in Swansea and Birmingham which are focused on medical applications.It is important to note that most applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they meet specific criteria. More information can be found online here.

A10: West Winch

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the Strategic Outline Business Case for the A10 West Winch Housing Access Road submitted to his Department by Norfolk County Council.

Lucy Frazer: The Government approved the Strategic Outline Business Case on 7th July. This enables Norfolk County Council to develop an Outline Business Case which it plans to submit to the Department in spring 2023. The Department has provided £698,000 as a grant to assist the Council with the costs of developing the business case.

Motor Vehicles: Air Pollution

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the roadside vehicle noise measurement scheme to include measurements of air pollution and related harms.

Lucy Frazer: The Department has commenced research to understand if the latest ‘noise camera’ technology can be an effective enforcement tool for police and local authorities. As the trials have not yet completed, it is too early to assess the potential merits of a wider roll out of ‘noise camera’ technology.

West Coast Railway Line

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Schedule 6.2, Clause 10.6 of the West Coast Rail Franchise Agreement, what train driver (a) recruitment and (b) training plans were agreed with his Department.

Kevin Foster: Avanti submitted the relevant plans within the contractual timescales. These plans are updated and reviewed quarterly.

Motor Vehicles: Noise

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the roadside vehicle noise measurement scheme after its trial period.

Lucy Frazer: The Department does not have plans to expand its ‘noise camera’ trials to include measurements of air pollution and related harms.Government already has an extensive network of roadside air quality monitors, covering around 320 locations across the UK. In 2020 the Defra and Department for Transport Joint Air Quality Unit set up a new monitoring network (the UK Urban NO2 Network) to measure roadside NO2 concentrations. Many local authorities also undertake their own roadside air quality monitoring for the purposes of Local Air Quality Management (LAQM).

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Government

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with his Cabinet colleagues on power sharing in Northern Ireland.

Mr Steve Baker: The restoration of fully functioning devolved institutions in Northern Ireland remains our top priority. Northern Ireland Office Ministers are in close contact with Cabinet colleagues on this issue and we will also be speaking to the Political Parties in Northern Ireland to encourage them to form a new Executive as soon as possible.

Ministry of Justice

Social Security and Child Support Tribunal: Costs

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the average cost per disposed case in the Social Security & Child Support Tribunal in each year since 2012-13 for (a) all cases, (b) Work Capability Assessment cases and (c) Personal Independent Payment decision cases.

Rachel Maclean: Regarding part (a) of the question, the estimated average cost per case disposed of by the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal in each year since 2012-13 for all cases was: 2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-192019-202020-212021-22Total Cost (£)139,720,42887,357,36692,554,070105,776,214121,482,762117,804,233121,771,734104,792,533100,057,460Total Disposals - all cases543,609150,978156,535190,071214,478206,402192,352136,08091,690Average Cost per disposal2575795915575665716337701,091Total disposals include clearances of appeals that take place at hearing, or those cleared without a hearing. This estimated average cost per case is therefore based on all case types and will not be a true indication of unit cost by type.Financial information is held on the cost of the overall First-Tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support Appeal), which includes the cost of administering Work Capability Assessment cases and Personal Independence Payment decision appeals but is not available at the requested level of granularity to provide an average cost per disposal for individual benefit types.

Sexual Offences: Remand in Custody

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help ensure that a suspect remanded in custody pending trial for sexual assault will not be released prior to a court hearing; and if he will make statement.

Rachel Maclean: The Bail Act 1976 provides a presumption in favour of bail, which recognises that a person should not be deprived of their liberty unless necessary for the protection of the public or the delivery of justice.Defendants have a right to apply for bail whilst they are remanded in custody, and at every hearing while a defendant is remanded in custody the court has a duty to consider whether he/she should be granted bail.The courts decide on a case-by-case basis whether a defendant presents such a bail risk as to warrant custody. Bail can only be refused where there are substantial grounds for believing that the defendant would abscond, commit further offences, interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice. Where a person has been charged with or convicted of a second serious offence such as a serious sexual offence, the presumption in favour of bail does not apply unless there are exceptional circumstances.The Government is working to ensure the courts have all the information they need to make an informed decision about the risk posed by a defendant. We are piloting a Bail Information Service to provide better information than that currently available to the court. This information can help to prevent the release of individuals who pose significant public protection risks. The pilot has been extended until April 2023 to help inform decisions around the design and development of a potentially permanent future dedicated and proactive service in courts and prisons in England and Wales.

Administration of Justice: Digital Technology

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support the digital transformation of the legal sector.

Rachel Maclean: Since November 2019 the government has funded the LawtechUK programme, established to support the digital transformation of the UK legal sector. The programme is delivered by Tech Nation and brings together industry, regulators, the judiciary, academia and government to break down barriers to innovation and improve legal professionals’ awareness and understanding of technology. It has delivered 15 projects to date, including a sandbox to help innovators fast track transformative ideas into products, educational resources, and a ground-breaking feasibility study for how technology can help small businesses resolve disputes.In August 2022 the government announced a further £4 million of funding for a second phase of support for lawtech. This funding will be used to build on the work delivered so far to increase innovation and adoption of lawtech in the delivery of legal services, support the growth of the lawtech sector in the UK, and enable English and Welsh law and the UK’s jurisdictions to become the foundation for emerging technologies.

Prisoners: Costs

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost was of imprisoning people found to have breached civil injunction orders in each year since 2014.

Rachel Maclean: It is not possible to provide a response within the cost limit because the information is not held in the way required to provide a response.There is a large variation in costs per place, which is dependent upon many different factors including the size, type and age of the prison. The latest published prison cost data (2020- 2021), including the average cost per prison place, may be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-performance-data-2020-to-2021

Civil Proceedings: Reviews

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Lord Justice Briggs’ review of the structure of the civil courts in England and Wales published in 2016, which recommendations of that review have been (a) implemented, (b) are in the process of implementation and (c) have been rejected.

Rachel Maclean: Lord Justice Briggs’ review into the structure of the civil courts made a wide-ranging series of recommendations to improve the structure of the civil courts. It has informed continuing improvements to the civil courts since 2016.The government has invested £1.3bn to transform the justice system, introducing 21st century technology and online services to increase access to justice, improve efficiency and modernise the courts. The digital reforms and simplified services are removing simple cases from court, cutting down unnecessary paperwork and helping some of the most vulnerable people facing difficult situations get justice as quickly as possible.The government has legislated to improve the effective running of the civil courts, most recently including the provision of a new Online Procedure Rule Committee in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 and launching a consultation on proposals to increase the use of mediation.The judiciary have worked closely in partnership with HMCTS on the design and delivery of the reforms in the civil courts.

Sexual Offences: Trials

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has plans to allow historical sexual abuse victims to have a character witness during trial.

Rachel Maclean: The Department does not currently have any plans to allow historical sexual abuse victims to have a character witness during trial. In criminal trials, including those involving accusations of historical sexual abuse, rules of evidence do not permit the admission of evidence of the good character of a prosecution witness in order to bolster their credibility, even when they are the complainant.

Rape: Trials

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) capital and (b) revenue budgets allocated for each of the pilot specialist rape courts are, as announced on 16 June 2022.

Rachel Maclean: On 16 June 2022, we announced the pilot of Specialist Sexual Violence Support in the Crown Court at three locations: Leeds, Newcastle, and Snaresbrook in London. This is not a rape court, but nevertheless aims to improve the support on offer in court for victims of rape and sexual violence and increase the volume of cases going through the system.We are committed to supporting these pilots with the right resources to ensure they work successfully. We have been working with local partners since the pilots were announced to understand the exact requirements for each phase of these pilots in the three locations. We hope to conclude this planning work in the coming weeks to inform funding decisions.

Sexual Offences: Reoffenders

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in the context of delays to cases of alleged sexual offences reaching trial, what recent estimate his Department has made of the rate of reoffending among people awaiting trial for those offences.

Rachel Maclean: The government does not currently hold data on the behaviours of those who have not yet been convicted of a crime but are nevertheless awaiting trial.As part of the Rape Review Action Plan, the government also set out its action plan to drive improvements across the system; ensuring that victims of rape do not have to wait years to see justice and that our streets are made safer as quickly as possible.

Women's Prisons: Prison Accommodation

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press notice entitled Extra funding for organisations that steer women away from crime, published by his Department on 23 January 2021, how much his Department has spent on on building new prison places in existing women’s prisons since January 2021.

Rachel Maclean: New places being delivered in the women’s estate will be delivered as part of our £3.8bn investment to deliver 20,000 prison places across England and Wales by the mid-2020s.New facilities in the women’s prison estate will provide up to 500 extra places that are safe, secure, trauma-informed and gender-specific. We will also continue to invest in community-based interventions, to ensure women have an alternative to a custodial sentence where appropriate

Powers of Attorney

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken was to register a Power of Attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, (c) 2021 and (d) January to July 2022.

Rachel Maclean: The average time taken to register a Power of Attorney with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) was as follows:a) April 2019 – March 2020 – 40 daysb) April 2020 – March 2021 - 58 daysc) April 2021 – March 2022 – 69 daysd) 01 April 2022 – 31 July 2022 – 85 days

Prisoners: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the number of Welsh people in prison based on home address prior to entering custody by establishment for each year between 2007 and 2012.

Rachel Maclean: This information can only be provided from 2009 onwards. The available data can be found in table form below.DateNumber of prisoners with a Welsh Origin AddressMay-094,292May-104,455May-114,466May-124,662It is not possible to infer from an address in Wales that an individual considers themselves Welsh or English. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot identify English and Welsh prisoners. Someone with an address, for example in London, may consider themselves to be Welsh, while someone with an address in Wales may not. UK nationals have a nationality of British. Therefore, the data shown are not necessarily representative of those who identify as English or Welsh. English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish are not captured on our database as separate nationalities.

Legal Aid Scheme: Human Trafficking

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of human trafficking have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of rape in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of crime in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of cyber crime in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of burglary in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of antisocial behaviour in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England have received Legal Aid in each of the last three years.

Miss Sarah Dines: The requested information is not held centrally. It is not a requirement for an individual to disclose if they have been a victim of a crime or antisocial behaviour when applying for legal aid. Consequently, it is not possible to specify how many applications have been received across the whole of the legal aid scheme from victims of crime or antisocial behaviour in each of the last three years.Generally, legal aid is not available to victims in connection with criminal prosecutions. Prosecutions are usually bought on behalf of the Crown, by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and victims are not separately represented.Civil legal aid is available to victims of human trafficking in connection with certain proceedings under paragraph 32 of Schedule 1 of Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. However, as above those individuals may access other civil legal services without disclosing that they have been victims of human trafficking.

County Courts: Judgements

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of county court judgements in (a) Newport West constituency, (b) Wales and (c) England; and if he will make a statement.

Miss Sarah Dines: The government publishes quarterly statistics including data on the volumes of judgments: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2022Judgment data is categorised by the HMCTS site that the work is processed at and not by the addresses of the Defendant. The vast majority (over 80%) of judgments are processed at National Business Centres and are therefore not included in the Newport or Wales statistics which instead details the significantly smaller volume of judgments arising from a hearing.Across England and Wales, the number of judgments made in the last six months has remained stable when compared to the previous six months. In Wales, the volumes of judgments made in the last six months is 25% higher than the previous six months with judgments in Newport County Court also showing an increase. This is comparable with the number of hearings increasing during the same time period which has the effect of improving the time taken for an outcome to be reached at Newport for those cases that require a hearing.

Legal Aid Scheme: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the access to legal aid for families in Newport West constituency.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) frequently reviews market capacity to make sure there is adequate provision of legal aid, in all categories of law, throughout England and Wales. The LAA moves quickly, where issues arise, to secure additional provision and to ensure continuity of legal aid services.The Legal Aid Agency commissions and monitors legal aid services by ‘Procurement Area’ as opposed to by constituency. The LAA seeks to award a minimum of 1 contract for each civil category of law for each Procurement Area, save in family law where the LAA seeks to award 5 contracts per procurement area. The Procurement Area which includes Newport West currently exceeds both standards.

Legal Aid Scheme: Housing

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of local authority areas in (a) Wales and (b) England that do not have a housing legal aid provider.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) keeps market capacity under constant review and takes immediate action where gaps appear by tendering for additional services. In England and Wales, legal advice on housing matters is available, wherever people are, through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service.The LAA procures legal aid services at Procurement Area level, rather than at local authority level. The LAA aims to ensure there is a minimum of one legal aid provider for housing in each Procurement Area. The Government is injecting more than £10m into housing legal aid through our reforms to the Housing Possession Court Duty Scheme.There are six Procurement Areas in which this standard is not met: City of Kingston upon Hull, Cheshire, Shropshire, South Tyneside, Staffordshire, Wigan. Individuals in these areas may access housing advice via the Civil Legal Advice telephone services or via providers in neighbouring Procurement Areas.

Courts: Energy

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the Courts in England and Wales of the rising cost of energy.

Miss Sarah Dines: The potential impact of rising energy costs is mitigated by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) procuring energy (gas and electricity) via the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Supply of Energy framework. Through this framework the vast majority of MOJ’s future requirements are traded by the CCS Energy Trading team over a 30-month rolling basis, and to a lesser proportion a 6-month period. This provides flexibility for the CCS team to trade the basket according to an agreed hedging strategy that enables them to wait-out periods of high prices until market conditions become more favourable. More information can be found in this PQ, answered in July 2022.In addition, HMCTS is working closely with MOJ and energy providers to produce a site-by-site energy forecast for energy usage and costs, we are also working with our facilities management partners to ensure energy consumption in HMCTS sites is as efficient as possible. Our latest financial forecast indicates that HMCTS can absorb the additional costs in fuel and utilities within our delegated budget (year ending 31 March 2023) without negatively impacting frontline delivery in our courts.

Humanism: Education

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to the Human Rights Act on humanist education.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of his proposed reforms to the Human Rights Act on non-religious groups.

Miss Sarah Dines: As is the case whenever a new government is formed, we are now looking again at the Bill of Rights to ensure that it meets the government’s objectives.

Religious Freedom: Telecommunications

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in Blackburn (t/a Cornish Moorland Honey) v Revenue and Customs Commissioners [2013] UKFTT 525 and the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119634 on Religious Freedom: Telecommunications, what assessment has been made of the potential effect of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill on the protection offered to persons with a religious conviction against the use of electronic communication; and if he will make a statement.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in Hand v George [2017] EWHC 533 and the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119633 on Succession: Adoption, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill on the entitlement of adoptive children to equal inheritance rights in wills made before 1976.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgments in A (Surrogacy: s.54 Criteria) [2020] EWHC 1426 and X (Parental Order: Death of Intended Parent Prior to Birth) [2020] EWFC 39 and the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119632 on Surrogacy: Human Rights, what assessment he has made of the impact of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill on foreseen changes in the circumstances of the intended parents of a child who was born as a result of surrogacy arrangements.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answers of 15 February 2022 to Questions 119629 and 119630, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Administration on the potential impact of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill on the legal recognition of humanist marriages in Northern Ireland.

Miss Sarah Dines: As is the case whenever a new government is formed, we are now looking again at the Bill of Rights to ensure that it meets the government’s objectives.

Legal Aid Scheme

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has taken recent steps to improve the availability of and access to legal aid.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help increase the number of legal aid providers in England.

Miss Sarah Dines: In 2021/22, the Department spent £1.6 billion on legal aid to ensure this vital support is accessible.We have consulted on changes to the Legal Aid Means Test which will mean an additional 2m people in England and Wales will have access to civil legal aid, and 3.5m more will have access to legal aid at the magistrates’ court.Alongside this, we are proposing to invest up to £135m a year into criminal legal aid, following the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review; more than £7m to improve access to housing legal aid; £8m expanding access to immigration legal aid; and we are launching a pilot of early legal advice to get people better support more quickly.

Custody: Fathers

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to fathers going through custody proceedings.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government is aware of the difficulties parents can face in continuing a relationship with their child following parental separation, which is why this Government is committed to ensuring that all parents can get the support they need to access the justice system across England and Wales.Since 2014 the Ministry of Justice has provided over £20m of grant funding through not-for-profit organisations who provide a range of services to support individuals, including parents involved in private law proceedings.In July 2022, the Ministry of Justice launched the Help Accessing Legal Support Grant, which will inject £3.2m into the legal advice sector by March 2023. This funding will further support local and regional partnerships to be formed, which have been fundamental in increasing collaboration between neighbouring services to enhance the advice and support available for litigants in person, including parents

Religious Freedom

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119628 on Religious Freedom and to his Department's consultation entitled Human Rights Act Reform: A Modern Bill of Rights, published on 14 December 2021, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill on equality under the law for (a) humanists, (b) atheists and (c) other non-religious people.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 15 February 2022 to Question 119627 on Religious Freedom and to his Department's consultation entitled Human Rights Act Reform: A Modern Bill of Rights, published on 14 December 2021, whether the Bill of Rights Bill will help to ensure that references to religion in (a) legislation and (b) guidance will be interpreted as religion or belief, in the context of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the judgment in R (Fox) v Secretary of State for Education [2015] EWHC 3404, to the Answer of 14 February 2022 to Question 119631 on Religion: Education and to his Department's consultation entitled Human Rights Act Reform: A Modern Bill of Rights, published on 14 December 2021, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential impact of clauses 3(2) and 3(3)(a) of the Bill of Rights Bill on the Government's policies on the delivery of religious education.

Miss Sarah Dines: As is the case whenever a new government is formed, we are now looking again at the Bill of Rights to ensure that it meets the government’s objectives.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Chile: Constitutions

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Chilean counterpart on Chile's national plebiscite on a new constitution.

Vicky Ford: I [Minister Ford] wrote to the Chilean Foreign Minister following the national referendum on a proposed new constitution. The referendum was an excellent example of a peaceful democratic exercise and the UK applauds Chile on its respect for the democratic process and its institutional systems.

Jamaica: Republicanism

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact on UK and Jamaica relations of Jamaica's intention to become a Republic.

Vicky Ford: The decision on whether to become a Republic is one for Jamaica and its people. It is for all Realms to decide their own constitutional arrangements. We have a close relationship with Jamaica, with strong historical connections, friendly people-to-people links, a shared language and legal system. A large share of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) current £400 million multi-country Caribbean programme is invested in Jamaica. We cherish our modern partnership based on common values, shared prosperity, the rules-based international system and close collaboration on climate change deepened through our mutual participation as members of the Commonwealth and look forward to it going from strength to strength.

Argentina: Politics and Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the political situation in Argentina.

Vicky Ford: We want Argentina to be stable and prosperous. Economically, we believe Argentina's International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme provides the best vehicle for macroeconomic stability. On 25 March we voted in favour of a new IMF deal to restructure the country's debt and in June we supported the completion of the first review of the deal programme.The UK is keen to work with Argentina to continue to strengthen our bilateral relationship. This includes building on our recent cooperation on health, including on COVID-19 vaccines, on climate change and on human rights, notably as co-chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition. The UK condemns the recent assassination attempt on Vice President Kirchner and stands with the Government of Argentina in support of democracy and the rule of law, and against political violence.

Ramiro Durán

Kim Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the murder of former FARC combatant and peace campaigner Ramiro Durán on 4 July 2022 in Colombia.

Vicky Ford: The UK Government remains concerned at the worrying rate of murders of, and threats against former FARC combatants. We will continue to support the Colombian Government in its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Accords and ensure the protection and safety of former FARC combatants.Through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund (CSSF) programme, which has provided £69 million in support of Peace Agreement implementation, security, and stability in Colombia since 2015, we will continue to support programmes that help to protect former FARC combatants and other groups affected by violence.

Ministry of Defence

Ukraine: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) UK and (b) non-UK armed forces personnel are involved in Operation Interflex.

James Heappey: As of 8 September 2022, 950 UK Armed Forces personnel and 410 non-UK Armed Forces personnel are involved in Operation Interflex.

Somaliland: Military Alliances

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to increase the UK’s military cooperation with Somaliland in the (a) Horn of Africa and (b) Gulf of Aden.

James Heappey: UK and MOD in particular plays an important role in promoting security in Somalia. We currently have a modest defence relationship with Somaliland itself. We fund a limited advisory reform project for the armed forces and offer a junior staff training course. We will continue to evaluate how we best balance our various forms of defence cooperation across Somalia to promote shared security interests.

Somaliland: Military Alliances

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish details of the UK’s military cooperation with Somaliland in the (a) Horn of Africa and (b) Gulf of Aden.

James Heappey: We currently have a modest defence relationship with Somaliland itself. We fund a limited advisory reform project for the armed forces and offer a junior staff training course. We do not routinely publish details but MOD does set out in its Annual Report and Accounts each year updates on our major defence activity in Somalia.

Indo-Pacific Region: Armed Forces

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 67 of the Integrated Review 2021 and the escalation of tensions on the Taiwan border, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the UK’s military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

James Heappey: The Integrated Review recognises that the Indo-Pacific region is at the centre of intensifying geopolitical competition with multiple potential flashpoints. The recent actions and remarks made by China on Taiwan are concerning. We will continue to encourage open communication and de-escalation.The Ministry of Defence regularly reviews UK global defence posture and capabilities to take account of emerging threats and crises. We have not made an assessment as to the adequacy of the UK's military presence in the Indo-Pacific region. However, we are strengthening defence and security cooperation, increasing our engagement with regional security groupings and exercising with the US, Australia and regional partners, including through the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA) members.Our maritime presence in the region has grown, with the deployment of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) as part of our persistent presence approach. The joint UK and US defence facility on the British Indian Ocean Territory plays a vital role in our efforts to keep the region secure and we retain a permanent presence in Brunei, through the Resident Infantry Battalion.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many small boats has the Royal Navy intercepted in the English Channel as part of Operation Isotrope.

James Heappey: As of 6 September 2022, there have been 541 migrant vessels intercepted as part of operation ISOTROPE since it began on 14 April 2022, in which the Royal Navy plays a strong control and co-ordination role. It should be noted however that physical interception of small boats and cross-decking of migrants is principally conducted using specialist Border Force Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs). Royal Navy assets primarily perform coordination and monitoring roles.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces personnel have been involved in Operation Isotrope each month since its inception.

James Heappey: On average approximately 180 personnel are engaged on operation ISOTROPE at any time. This has remained broadly constant for the duration of the operation with only small fluctuations when there are personnel changeovers.

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the date of initial operating capability is for the E-7 Wedgetail as of 6 September 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: On current planning, Initial Operating Capability for the E-7 Wedgetail is expected to be achieved in 2024 but this will not be confirmed until the Full Business Case is submitted towards the end of Financial Year 2022-23.

Defence: Finance

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on defence spending.

Alec Shelbrooke: High inflation will reduce the Ministry of Defence's spending power over the Spending Review period and beyond. However, due to its volatility, a precise estimate of its impact is challenging. Our existing controls will substantially limit exposure and we keep our programmes under constant financial review, using our contingency to manage risks if they materialise.

Ministry of Defence: Energy

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on energy in each of the last three years.

Alec Shelbrooke: The cost to the Ministry of Defence for energy for approximately 80% of sites on the UK Defence Estate in each of the last three financial years (FY) can be found in the table below. FY2019-20FY2020-21FY2021-22UK Defence Estate £ millionUK Defence Estate £ millionUK Defence Estate £ million265.029242.265267.386 Gas and electricity information for the remaining 20% of UK Defence Estate sites is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

F-35 Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK's F-35Bs can be fully upgraded to the combat capable Block 4 standard without a new engine.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Block 4 upgrade programme will deliver a world leading Combat Air capability for UK Lightning through improvements in lethality, survivability and supportability. These capability enhancements do not require new engines.

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department decided to reduce the number of E-7 Wedgetail aircraft it will purchase from five to three.

Alec Shelbrooke: The E7 Wedgetail will provide a step-change in the UK's Airborne Early Warning and Control Capability. The decision to reduce the scope of the E7 Wedgetail fleet from five to three aircraft was agreed in the Integrated Review, as part of a wider balance of investment across Defence.

F-35 Aircraft: Engines

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what pans he has to upgrade the (a) RAF and (b) Fleet Air Arm F-35Bs with the (i) General Electric XA100 or (ii) Pratt & Whitney XA101 engine.

Alec Shelbrooke: These engines will only be suitable for the F-35A and C variant and will not be compatible with the F-35B. An upgrade path for future F-35B propulsion upgrades is under development by the Joint Program Office. The UK Lightning fleet will continue to be upgraded as appropriate, throughout its service life, through the Follow on Modernisation programme.UK F-35B Lightning aircraft are operated under a single Force Headquarters, with all units jointly manned by both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy personnel. Air system capability development is overseen by an Air Command Capability team which again is jointly manned.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the annual budget for (a) Navy Command, (b) Army Command, (c) Air Command, (d) Strategic Command, (e) Defence Nuclear Organisation, (f) Strategic Programmes Directorate for each year since 2010.

Alec Shelbrooke: The annual spend of organisations across the department are detailed in the relevant departmental Annual Report and Accounts (ARAC). These can be found at the following link;https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/mod-annual-reportsAs the Department’s organisational structure, as well as the structure of its financial reporting, have changed significantly over the last 12 years, a direct comparison year on year is only possible between 2019-22.  Financial YearAnnual Spend (£ million)2019-202020-212021-22Navy Command6,545.76,905.87,586.2Army Command10,706.710,981.511,052.0Air Command6,826.37,822.28,538.2Strategic Command5,065.45,355.76,321.2Defence Nuclear Organisation4,110.44,515.85,245.4Strategic Programmes Directorate940.2925.51,188.7

Military Bases: Natural Gas

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increased price of wholesale gas on properties on the defence estate.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has made no individual assessment of the potential impact of the increased price of wholesale gas. The MOD is mandated by the Cabinet Office to use the centralised Crown Commercial Services (CCS) contracts for wholesale gas. As such, CCS advise MOD on current energy markets and through economies of scale and forward contracting, facilitate reduced costs and enable prices to be known for planning and forecasting purposes. CCS represent the MOD at the quarterly External Risk and Governance Board where risk and trading strategies are reviewed to ensure that MOD secure the best possible wholesale gas price.

National Grid Electricity Transmission: AAC Wattisham

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the East Anglia GREEN proposals on operations at Wattisham Air Base.

Alec Shelbrooke: Requests for information have been submitted to the National Grid project team by Wattisham Flying Station (WFS). WFS are awaiting a response from the project team, before a full assessment regarding the impact on operations can be made. The WFS team will confirm the findings once the assessment has been made.

Military Aircraft: Training

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place a copy of the contract between his Department and the Ascent consortium relating to the Military Flying Training System contract in the Library.

Alec Shelbrooke: The contract between the Ministry of Defence and the Ascent consortium is commercially sensitive. I am therefore withholding it as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to improve the insulation of (a) Service Living Accommodation and (b) Service Family Accommodation to help reduce energy bills in the context of rising prices.

Alec Shelbrooke: A new sustainability forum working with customers will identify schemes such as improvements in insulation for Single Living Accommodation (SLA) for the financial year 2023-24 and beyond. Information on improvements made to insulation for SLA is not held centrally. However, thermal insulation on existing SLA buildings complied with - and in some cases exceeded - the industry standards when they were constructed. MOD have targeted the worst insulated Service Family Accommodation (SFA) to improve their thermal efficiency which will help to reduce families' utility bills. 2782 homes have received new insulation over the past three years, while in the last financial year alone, 13,000 homes received upgrades including new windows and boilers. Further insulation work will be carried out to SFA in 2022-23, including installing new boilers in hundreds of homes and increasing loft insulation across the estate to a depth of 300mm, going beyond the industry standard of 270mm.

Ministry of Defence: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many payments were fraudulently charged to his Department’s budget using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, and (c) 2021-22; and what was the total value of fraudulent payments (i) made and (ii) recovered in each of those years.

Alec Shelbrooke: The total number of payments proven to have been fraudulently charged to the Ministry of Defence budget, using electronic purchasing cards in the financial years 2019-20, 2020-21, and 2021-22, together with their value and the amounts recovered are as follows: Financial YearNumber of Fraudulent PaymentsValue of FraudAmount Recovered2019-20NilNot applicableNot applicable2021-211£698£6982021-222£250.44£250.44 The above data comprises fraud that has been detected and logged within the Confidential Hotlines Case Management System, and dates are based on when the cases were logged on the system. It also only includes cases that are closed and where the fraud has been proven.

Defence: Employment

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support defence jobs in (a) Merseyside and (b) Lancashire.

Alec Shelbrooke: The most recent estimate shows MOD investment supports 219,000 jobs in industries across the UK. This includes 17,700 direct jobs in the North West of England.Earlier this year, we marked the first anniversary of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS), which received positive feedback from industry.Continued high, and focussed investment in defence, along with the changes we are making as part of DSIS, will contribute to further economic growth and prosperity, across the Union.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the travel sections of his Department’s publications of government procurement card spending over £500, whether the transaction dates associated with negative values typically reflect the dates for which any refunded bookings were originally made.

Alec Shelbrooke: Where negative values set out in the Electronic Purchasing Card spend data published by the Ministry of Defence relate to refunds, the transaction date will typically be that when the refund is submitted and not the original travel date or the original transaction date.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the travel sections of his Department’s publications of government procurement card spending over £500, first published on 19 April 2021, whether the negative values up to a level of –£80,000 published in those sections reflect the refunds made to his Departmental budget in each month of amounts previously paid to (a) travel operators, (b) transport companies and (c) hotels.

Alec Shelbrooke: Negative values set out in the Electronic Purchasing Card spend data published by the Ministry of Defence, which are associated with travel operators, transport companies and hotels, typically represent refunds from these providers.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the travel section of his Department’s government procurement card spending over £500 for December 2021, for what reason there are negative values under the account code ending in 0248 recorded as (a) –£8,104,758.24 with transaction date 12 August 2021 and (b) –£3,864,252.86 with transaction date 1 July 2022.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the travel section of his Department’s government procurement card spending over £500 for October 2021, for what reason there is a negative value under the account code ending in 0248 recorded as –£5,246,855.41 with transaction date of 13 October 2021.

Alec Shelbrooke: These negative values of -£5,246,855.41 set out in the travel section of the Electronic Purchasing Card spend data for October 2021, and of -£8,104,758.24 and -£3,864,252.86 in the equivalent data for December 2021, are payments by the Ministry of Defence to Barclaycard, the Electronic Purchasing Card provider, for Travel Management Account expenditure in September, November and December 2021. This covers a range of business travel services such as flights, rail travel and hire cars, that are charged to a centrally lodged card.The transaction dates in the Travel and Stationery data sheets use the month/day/year format, and as such, the actual dates of these transactions in December 2021 were 8 December 2021, and 7 January 2022 respectively.

Ministry of Defence: Travel

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the travel section of his Department’s Government procurement card spending over £500 for February 2022, for what reason there is a negative value of –£7,755,844.69 under the account code with last four digits 0102 with transaction date 2 November 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: The negative value of -£7,755,844.69 is a payment by the Ministry of Defence to Barclaycard, the Electronic Purchasing Card provider, for its hotel lodged card bill for spend in January 2022. This covers hotels booked for official travel in the UK where a bill back arrangement is in place, meaning the stay is paid for immediately, instead of via the pay and claim arrangement in place for overseas accommodation.The transaction date in the Travel and Stationery data sheet for February 2022 uses the month/day/year format, and as such, the actual date of the transaction was 11 February 2022.

Russia: Military Equipment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent potential smuggling of British military and dual-use technology into Russia through the use of Chinese and Indian companies.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend (Jeremy Quin) on 6 June 2022 to Question 7924 to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Kevan Jones). Arms Trade: Russia (docx, 16.5KB)

Military Bases: Operating Costs

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 4 of his Department's report A Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, how much the Defence estate optimisation programme has saved his Department in running costs for the defence estate each year since 2016.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio has to date generated over £200 million in receipts from the sale of surplus sites and saved more than £18 million in running and maintenance costs in the last six years. This has already been reinvested in completed builds at five sites, with construction underway at a further five sites.

Military Bases: Sales

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 4 of his Department's report A Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, how many new homes were built on land formerly owned by his Department prior to October 2016.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not retrospectively track the development of its former sites to validate how many homes have been built. The Housing Unit Potential scored at the time of sale, represents the estimated number of houses that could be built. The overall figure may change dependent on how the new owner secured development permissions, particularly on sites that were sold without outline planning permission but have gone on to be developed.Between financial year (FY) 2010-11 and FY 2016-17 MOD sold 572 parcels of land, totalling c4,555 hectares. This could provide for at least 44,500 housing units, as well as additional commercial and agricultural use.

Defence: Radar

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many fixed radar sites form part of the UK air defence network as of 6 September 2022.

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many mobile air defence radars the RAF has in its inventory as of 6 September 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: There are seven fixed radar sites forming part of the UK Air Defence network. There are two mobile Air Defence radars in the RAF's inventory.

AWACS: Procurement

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the individual unit cost is of the proposed three E-7 Wedgetail aircraft, expressed as (a) acquisition and (b) through-life cost.

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduction in the proposed purchase from five to three aircraft on the acquisition cost of the E-7 Wedgetail programme; and what the revised cost of the E-7 programme is, expressed as total (a) acquisition and (b) through-life cost.

Alec Shelbrooke: The impact of the decision taken as part of the Integrated Review in March 2021 to reduce from five to three the number of Wedgetail aircraft that will enter Royal Air Force service was assessed in light of wider Departmental fiscal considerations. I am withholding details of the acquisition cost and Whole Life Costs as not all elements of the programme are yet on contract and to release this information would prejudice the Ministry of Defence's commercial interests while negotiations have not yet concluded.

Ministry of Defence: Public Expenditure

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates on the projected affordability of his Department's major projects.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Department has assessed the impact of foreign exchange rates on its latest ten year forecast and adverse changes in the USD rate have been absorbed within the overall departmental position. Additional budget has been allocated to budget holders to ensure that the affordability of the equipment programme is not affected.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints has the (a) Army, (b) Royal Air Force and (c) Navy received on Single Living Accommodation in each month in (i) 2021 and (ii) 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: Complaints received for Single Living Accommodation are not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints his Department received on Service Family Accommodation in each month in 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: The table below shows the number of complaints relating to UK Service Family Accommodation in each month in 2022: MonthNo of ComplaintsJan 22559Feb 22519Mar 22577Apr 22867May 221,092Jun 221,318Jul 22988Aug 221,016As at 8 Sep 22319

Fleet Solid Support Ships: Procurement

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Capital Adequacy Tests will be undertaken on all companies and teams bidding into the Fleet Solid Support Ship competition.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave him on 10 September 2021 to Question 44205.Fleet Solid Support Ships Procurement (docx, 16.3KB)

Ajax Vehicles: Procurement

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he next plans to make a statement to the House of Commons on the status of the Ajax Armoured Vehicle project.

Alec Shelbrooke: I will continue the commitment of my predecessor to update the House on the progress of the Ajax programme and will give a statement to the House in the near future.

Russia: Military Equipment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department has taken to prevent British technology from being used in Russian radars and missile systems; and if he will make a statement.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Government reviews all licence applications for the export of UK-manufactured military and dual-use equipment against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including an assessment of any risk that the items will be diverted to an undesirable end-user or for an undesirable end-use. In addition, the UK ensures its arms exports are compliant with the Arms Trade Treaty, and international trade sanctions. Restrictions on the export of military and dual use goods will also make it more difficult for Russia to access this technology.The Ministry of Defence is an advisory Department to the Department of International Trade on the export licence assessment process, and assesses the risk of such exports against our defence capability and national security, as well as the risk of diversion. The Government works hard to ensure that sensitive classified defence technologies have the necessary protections in place.

Defence Equipment

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a list of approved non-issued kit suitable for use by armed service personnel while in the field or on operations.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Department has not made any assessment of the potential merits of introducing a list of approved non-issued kit suitable for use by Armed Forces personnel while in the field or on operations. The Ministry of Defence keeps under review all issued kit to ensure it is fit for purpose and provides all of the necessary requirements for personnel while deployed in the field or on operations.

Artillery: Procurement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to replenish its supply of long-range artillery weapons.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Army's long-range artillery capability is continually under review. The department plans to invest in the recapitalisation of our M270 tracked missile launcher system and various missile types to complement our current Guided Multi Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munition stock.

Tanks: Procurement

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of procuring Leopard 2s to (a) further complement the British Army's fleet of main battle tanks and (b) increase inter-operability with NATO allies.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Army’s Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT)will become one of the most mobile, most protected, and most lethal in Europe, making up the core of both of the Army’s future Armoured Brigade Combat Teams. These will be more capable against peer adversaries and integrated with our NATO Allies and partners. No requirement has been identified for additional MBT capability.

Challenger Tanks and Horses

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Challenger tanks and (b) horses are currently operational.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence publishes statistics on Armed Forces Equipment and Formations on an annual basis. A further breakdown of Challenger tanks is not available as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. The Army currently has 492 horses (including 2 pony mascots).

Unmanned Air Vehicles

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department are taking steps to develop the British Army's loitering munitions capabilities.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Ministry of Defence keeps under review capability requirements to ensure it can meet threats faced now and in the future.

Challenger Tanks

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the potential saving to the public purse of reducing the number of Challenger 2 battle tanks.

Alec Shelbrooke: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my predecessor, the hon Member for Horsham (Jeremy Quin), gave 15 June 2022 to question 13643 to the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey).Challenger Tanks (docx, 16.4KB)

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many of the British Army's 979 Armoured Personnel Carriers are rated RED on the Joint Asset Management and Engineering Solutions system.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many working, serviceable and rated green on JAMES heavy equipment transporters there are in the British Army as of 2 September 2022.

Alec Shelbrooke: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mounting jacks are used on British military vehicles; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of moving towards one universal jack for all vehicles.

Alec Shelbrooke: The jack is diverse piece of equipment that covers a multitude of vehicles and variants. Due to the differences in size and weight of military vehicles, which range from under one ton to over 70 tons, it would not be viable to use a single piece of equipment for all vehicles in service. Consequently there are no current plans to introduce a universal jack.

Artillery

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s current long-range artillery capability.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to procure High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for the British Army.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Army’s long-range artillery capability is continually under review. The department plans to invest in the recapitalisation of our M270 tracked missile launcher system and various missile types to complement our current Guided Multi Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) munition stock.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Mr Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the combat suitability of The Jackal 2 platform when pitted against (a) peer and (b) near peer opponents.

Alec Shelbrooke: The Army’s capabilities are regularly assessed against both peer, near peer and other adversaries in planned force testing including operational analysis and Wargaming – supported by DSTL. I am withholding the specific detail of the testing as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

Department for Work and Pensions

Working Tax Credit: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people who did not receive housing benefit were in receipt of (a) the childcare element and (b) other elements of Working Tax Credit in Newport West constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

David Rutley: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Discretionary Housing Payments

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with Local Authorities on the Government's decision to cut the Discretionary Housing Payment budget from £140 million in 2021/22 to £100 million for 2022/23.

David Rutley: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not met Local Authorities (LAs) to discuss Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) funding for 2022/23. Officials at the Department for Work and Pensions engage with LAs through regular forums, and those LAs were informed of a reduction in funding prior to the publication of the full allocations for 2022/23. LAs are notified annually of the total amount of DHP funding and how much funding has been allocated to each LA.

Universal Credit: Newport West

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claimed Universal Credit in Newport West constituency in each of the last four years.

David Rutley: Monthly statistics on the number of people who are on Universal Credit, by Westminster parliamentary constituency, from May 2013 to July 2022, can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons it is her policy that there should be a managed migration of legacy benefits to Universal Credit.

David Rutley: Migrating the remaining legacy benefits over to Universal Credit ensures that the advantages of Universal Credit for claimants are fully realised.

Social Security Benefits: Debts

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to pause deductions from benefit payments which aim to recover a claimant's debts.

David Rutley: Whilst there are currently no plans to suspend recovery of benefit debts, DWP remains committed to working with anyone who is struggling with benefit debt repayments. In April 2021, we reduced the cap on standard deductions to 25% of a claimant’s Universal Credit Standard Allowance. This followed an earlier reduction from 40% to 30% in October 2019. Where a person feels they cannot afford the proposed rate of recovery, and the debt has not arisen as a result of fraud, they are encouraged to contact DWP’s Debt Management team to discuss a temporary reduction in their rate of repayment.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food Supply

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure UK food security.

Mark Spencer: Britain has a highly resilient and diverse food supply chain which is well equipped to deal with disruption, as demonstrated throughout the COVID-19 response. British consumers have access, through international trade, to food products that cannot be produced here, supplementing domestic production, and ensuring that challenges such as adverse weather and disease do not affect the British overall security of supply. The Government also engages extensively with industry to monitor and assess all supply risks.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Public Expenditure

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the total budget was for his Department in each year since 2010.

Mr Alister Jack: The total budget for the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate General since 2010 is show below:  Financial YearTotal Budget (£m)2010-118.2892011-128.2462012-137.7072013-147.6062014-1519.235*2015-1623.418*2016-1710.6372017-1823.870*2018-1911.0062019-2013.3612020-2113.7982021-2212.435 * included non-voted election costs

Cabinet Office

Balance of Trade

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the balance of trade for Standard Industrial Classification groups (a) J.58.1, (b) J.58.2, (c) J.60, (d) J.62, (e) M.72 and (f) R.90 in each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the hon. Member’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd September is attached. UKSA response to 45137 (pdf, 164.0KB)

Retail Prices Index

Andrew Lewer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the methodology for calculating the Retail Price Index used at the Budget statements of (a) 27 October 2021, (b) 3 March 2021 and (c) 11 March 2020.

Edward Argar: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 2 September is attached. UKSA response to 46014 (pdf, 117.4KB)

Local Resilience Forums: Weather

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) instruct all resilience forums to establish a plan for tackling extreme heat, including checks on vulnerable residents and cool rest facilities, and (b) publish guidance his Department has issued on this prior to the period of extreme heat in July 2022.

Edward Argar: This instruction should, and does, come from the Department for Health and Social Care as the lead department on the Heatwave Plan for England (through the UKHSA) rather than the Cabinet Office. As part of this, their officials and ministers liaise with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Local Communities to share policy guidance for Local Resilience Forums.UKHSA’s Heatwave Plan for England contains the following:“The plan focuses on the effects of severe hot weather on health and well-being, however, severe and extended heatwaves can also cause severe disruption to general services. For this reason, multi-agency Local Health Resilience Partnerships (LHRPs) and Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) will have a critical role in preparing and responding to heatwaves at a local level, working closely with Health and Wellbeing Boards on longer term strategic planning.At local level, emergency planning arrangements run by local government and the NHS are brought together in the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), which have many years of experience with heatwave plans and heat-health alert system. LHRPs have been established to bring together the local health sector organisations to support in strategic planning.Health Services and local authority commissioners, together with multi-agency LRFs, should satisfy themselves that providers and stakeholders take appropriate actions according to the heat-health alert levels.”The Heatwave Plan for England also contains resources that provide guidance, recommendations and advice for the public and professionals. Given the health threat and the impacts observed in summer 2021 additional work has been taken forward by UKHSA and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to raise awareness of the health consequences of hot weather and enable professionals, organisations and individuals to plan, mitigate and respond to hot weather episodes effectively. These include:Updating the materials related to hot weather risks on the Heatwave Plan for England collection page. These provide sector specific guidance on actions to take during a heatwave to safeguard patients and service users.Publishing the 2022 Heatwave communications toolkit and social media assets which have been shared with UKHSA regional communications, cross-government partners and local government to support consistent and clear messaging on heat-health.Coordinating all of the previously circulated guidance will pose a disproportionate cost.

Government Departments: Birmingham

Julian Knight: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many jobs have been created in the West Midlands as a result of the establishment of the cross-Government hub at 23 Stephenson Street in Birmingham.

Edward Argar: 23 Stephenson Street, Birmingham, opened in October 2021 housing 1,700 staff across 20 different Government departments. The vast majority of these civil servants were brought together through consolidation of existing roles in Birmingham but additional capacity for 30 new roles has been created.

Blood: Contamination

Beth Winter: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the interim report by Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Infected Blood Inquiry, published on 29 July 2022, and the endorsement in that report of the interim payment recommendations of Sir Robert Francis QC, when the funds will be made available to the eligible recipients identified in that interim report.

Edward Argar: I refer the Hon. member to the answer given to PQ 42184 on 6 September 2022.

Government Departments: Buildings

Holly Lynch: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many work stations were available for civil servants to use in each Department as of 2 September 2022.

Edward Argar: Cabinet Office can only provide the answer for their own sites; each government department holds their own information.The total number of workstations available for Cabinet Office staff to use across all our offices is 5286.

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Answer of 7 March 2022 to Question 129064 on Equal Pay, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of prohibiting employers from requesting salary history from new employees.

Amanda Solloway: There is growing evidence to show that, when pay is negotiable, asking applicants to disclose previous earnings and not including salary information in the advert increases the risk that historic disparities will be replicated. Research from the Fawcett Society suggests that questions about salary history particularly disadvantage women's confidence in pay negotiations.On International Women’s Day this year, we called on all employers to provide salary information in all of their job adverts, and to stop asking about previous salary during recruitment.We recognise that some employers may find it challenging to take these steps, due to historic pay decisions and lack of clarity in pay processes. That is why we also announced that we will work with employers to develop and pilot a methodology to support them to adopt these measures. The first meeting of the methodology working group took place at the start of this month.

Civil Servants: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to Section 109(4) of the Equality Act 2010, whether the provision of mandatory training for civil service staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act has been cited as a defence against Section 109 proceedings by (a) a Government department and (b) other public sector body since the commencement of that Act.

Amanda Solloway: This information is not held centrally. Proceedings under the Equality Act 2010 are brought against individual Government departments, or the employing public sector body.